Why I hate Verizon DSL

[giza]

So, I was working on someone's computer last night. They had just gotten the DSL self-install kit from Verizon and needed help getting it hooked up. The first problem was that their computer was older and didn't have a network card. I figured I would test out the circuit while I was there, so I hooked up the modem/router and plugged my Powerbook into it.

Well, that didn't work out so well, since DNS would not resolve. The DSL circuit appeared to be okay, since the DSL LED was solid green. I then did a traceroute to a specific IP and saw something that looked like this:

1 192.168.1.1 !H !H !H

So the router was actually rejecting my packages for some reason. I then took a look at the manual that came with it, and the troubleshooting section pretty much boiled down to "you must install our custom software to 'activate' your router". But I couldn't do that since there was no NIC on the Win XP box that the people had.

What a pain in my arse. Contract with the DSL circuit I got from DCA Net. I told them my MAC address ahead of time, and when I got the modem, all I had to do was plug it in to the phone line and plug my computer into it. It took about 30 seconds for me to get online.

Moral of the story: If you don't like the idea of having to install special software on your computer to use DSL, avoid Verizon. I highly recommend DCA Net's services, though!

Comments

[thraxarious.livejournal.com]

Sounds like another PPPoE DSL setup. SBC does that out here, you have to log in with this software that talks to the router... bleah.

[drleo.livejournal.com]

Ugh. Yeah, one of the many reasons I haven't looked into switching away from my cable modem is crap like this. I don't even want to use PPPoE. With my setup, I didn't have to register a MAC address or anything. All they had to do was plug the modem into the wall, activate the modem in their system, and I was ready to get a DHCP lease and go.

[rigelkitty.livejournal.com]

How did someone manage to order DSL without an ethernet card? Didn't they read the requirements, #1 of which is: you must have an ethernet card?

[giza.livejournal.com]

That's a good point. I asked myself that same question.

They're not computer people, and they already had dialup through another ISP, so I can totally understand them not knowing the difference between a model and a NIC. Even the ports look similar. In all fairness, I could not expect them to be able to tell the difference.

[kellic.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the info. Once I move I'm prob going to drop Comcast because these asshats hare seriously FUBARed their DNS servers. At least once a week (If not more their DNS servers get screwed up) I ended up using some 3rd party DNS servers since this was taking me down pretty much for the night when it happens.
So basically I'm looking at other options. *checks Verizon off the list*

I won't use any system that:
1. Requires software to use other then an OS.
2. Runs on only Windows. (It has to just work on everything.)
3. Rapes you with costs (I pay $65 a month for my internet. The bloody bill should come with lube.)

[zenmouse.livejournal.com]

Actually, I've had Verizon DSL service for about 2 years now and have been pleased. Granted, I use a router that supports PPPoE so that I don't have to use the stupid software that Verizon gave me. But, routers are good to have, especially as a form of firewall. Reliability is high and my speeds regularly clock higher than what I'm supposedly paying for.

[vesuvius.livejournal.com]

Because the only other option for my area is low quality dial-up, I use Verizon. However, I did not have to install any of their software. I had my own router, which talked directly with their modem. I put the ID & password in the router and changed one other setting and it connected fine. (then I tightened security a little, but that's separate)

I guess it might make a difference that I'm in MD.

[giza.livejournal.com]

It's something related to their service offerings. I forgot to mention that my parents have Verizon, but have totally different hardware. They got a little DSL modem sent to them, and I had no problem putting a Linksys WRT54G into that and their Macs into the Linksys.

The only POSSIBLE reason I can think of to run their software before being allowed to use the connection is to make their tech support load easier. After all, if the software says "no network card" as in this case, it saves a 30 minute phonecall to a tech. I wouldn't be surprised if the "troubleshooting" section of their software have ping and traceroute tools built in. I imagine it would be easy for a tech to walk someone through that over the phone.

[camstone.livejournal.com]

Verizon DSL runs over PPPoE. So a simple package like winPOET or other will work with it and without their software. The reason they install it is to do line and error checks against the modem by sending packets back and forth to the attached computer.

Most of their newer modems will also work with a USB connection. No ethernet cards are required.

[giza.livejournal.com]

Ah. So they can get away with using cheaper modems that way. :-P

[wolffit.livejournal.com]

Just out of curiousity, if they had ordered from DCA Net, would they have been able to tell DCA Net what their MAC address was? No. They would have said "I have a PC, not a Mac." And there would have been great confusion.

[firedhusky.livejournal.com]

You could always use a PPPoE client that is not from verizon, there are a few out there. they install really easy and apear as a regular dial up connection.

considering this is a ethernet modem and not the usb model tho. then you might need the drivers for the usb dsl modem too :)

i hate verizon, so just by pased it.

*paw waves*

FDH

I've done lots of Verizon DSL installs...

[coyoteden.livejournal.com]

I normally used their software, but there were always some cases where I couldn't. The way I always did it was to:

1) log into the router as either admin/admin or admin/password, I don't remember
2) The router does PPPoE, so you just create a profile to log on as dslselfregister/dslselfregister (That used to work, maybe not anymore)
3) If you're not automatically redirected there, go to http://dslselfregister.verizon.net and you'll see the same pages their wizard takes you if you let it install the spyware network diagnostics.
4) manually create a profile for the username/password you registered in the router, remove the dslselfregister profile, and you're all set.

Or you can call their support monkeys and they will set the account up for you. All you need is the phone number of the DSL line and the customer info.

Re: I've done lots of Verizon DSL installs...

[giza.livejournal.com]

Jeeze, what a pain in the ass. I mean, is it really that much for me to expect to plug things in and for them to Just Work? Then again, I'm not surprised that Verizon managed to screw things up that badly.

*bangs head on desk*

[fc-greyfox.livejournal.com]

That's exactly what they do. I had the unfortunate event of having to deal with them when I lived in South Jersey. At the time, their install of PPPOE crap would only load on '98, ME, and 2000. Their setup insisted on you using nothing but Internet Exploiter version 5. IE6 wouldn't work. XP would crash on startup, and even 2000 was unstable running it. The tech support (Yes, I called them to try and work around it. I don't want their spyware, either!) insisted that I switch to a supported operating system and browser, because it was 'the only way to do it'. They then had the balls to tell me that if I switched back to the OS and/or browser I preferred at the time, they had the right to terminate the agreement. Yeah, a real group of fecophillic asshats indeed.

Oh yeah.. that's -before- the contract they forced me into unknowingly after I signed up on their -no contract- special. Needless to say, I'm telling everyone to avoid them for their own sanity now.

[fc-greyfox.livejournal.com]

Same problem here. Comcast's DNS is so trashed I completely eliminated their servers from the loop. I coded some of the open access DNS as well as Verizon's backbone(?) (4.2.2.2) server into my router. No problems since, but slower DNS resolve times.

[furahi.livejournal.com]

Well, there are USB DSL modems

[furahi.livejournal.com]

Well, I would suppose Macs support PPPoE, it's standard nowadays and Linux has supported it since Kernel 2.2 I think (or at least 2.4) o.o

[giza.livejournal.com]

They do, but I hadn't thought to try it from mine, having never worked with it before.

[darthgeek.livejournal.com]

A friend of mine (unixronin) has a linux (might be NetBSD) router running PPoE handling his VZ DSL connection. Took a bit of doing, but he got it figured out with a bit of googling.

[darthgeek.livejournal.com]

unixronin even

[music4fun.livejournal.com]

Considering half this household is computer illiterate and the other half only marginally knowledgeable, we've had no real problem using Verizon DSL with our Mac. We have no geek in residence to enlighten us. The two times I had to talk to tech support, he was extremely patient and helpful to the minor problem
on our end. And, due to the lack of Mac support, we changed from DCA Net.

[hserus.livejournal.com]

most pppoe / pppoa routers - even the ones that come with proprietory config software - have a telnet interface, and/or a web interface

telnet 192.168.1.1

http://192.168.1.1 (or nmap it to see what funky port - say 8080 - its on)

One of those should work.